Warning

We want our cities to be smart, but often the cost of accomplishing such a feat would be eye-watering even for the most-flush of folks. Consequently, companies are looking for ways to bolt on smart-city equipment to existing infrastructure. wi-fiber has built a lamppost head that contains security cameras, IoT and
municipal WiFi equipment within its slender body. It even gives basic street lighting an upgrade, offering the ability to change color or flash to direct emergency services straight to where the crisis is.

Dan Cooper, Senior Editor

The difference between the technology in our pockets and that lining our streets is growing ever more pronounced, and that's a problem. It's one of the reasons that
smart city technology is going to become an increasingly visible part of the world over the next few years. Communities need to catch up, and companies such as wi-fiber are
hoping that offering a way to retrofit new equipment into existing infrastructure is the solution.

The company has produced a modular street lamp that can be customized to suit any number of needs, from smart lighting through to municipal WiFi. First up, there are LED bulbs that will offer more efficient lighting, and also the ability to change colors and strobe.
That could be useful, for instance, if law enforcement are responding to an emergency, the lights can be flashed to highlight where the crisis is taking place.

The placement of municipal WiFi in city centers can also benefit both cities - which can cut down on their cellular subscriptions - and individuals, especially in our smart car future. Wireless infrastructure will better enable machine-to-machine communication.